


I'll Be Your Fire In the Cold Rain

by jessis



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Post-Ending E (NieR: Automata), Smut, Spoilers, Vanilla, slight angst if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 09:50:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17384234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessis/pseuds/jessis
Summary: 9S has a lot on his mind but it always centers around her.





	I'll Be Your Fire In the Cold Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this came out alright. I honestly haven't written smut in almost a year and this is my first time writing it for this particular fandom!
> 
> I intend to write a counterpart fic to this but I'll leave it at one chapter for now.

If there is a god out there he must be a cruel god that enjoys the suffering of others. That’s what 9S thinks as he shifts his weight from one leg to the other. It’s the only logical conclusion to his predicament. His mind swirls with thoughts, emotions, _feelings_ he’s not sure he’s supposed to even have. Androids were not supposed to display emotions or feel things this… intensely, were they? There must be something wrong and he ponders if, perhaps, he is in need of a complete data overhaul.

2B, his stoic combat model partner, is everything to him. She’s the one constant in his life. 9S would gladly take a bullet for her. Would gladly take the sharp end of a blade if it meant she was unharmed. It’s to the point of recklessness and he’s lost his fair share of parts, even entire bodies, because of his insane need to keep her safe. It’s asinine and pointless considering she’s the combat model. She’s built to withstand an onslaught of attacks while he’s built to provide support.

These feelings go beyond just mere need to protect, however. He desires so much more from her than he knows she’d ever give. What he wouldn’t give to hold her in his arms, to kiss her, to tell her how much he adores her, to simply see her smile at him. He thinks maybe there's something there in the way she holds him so tenderly when he’s hurt, the way she cries so many tears for him like she can’t lose him. It makes him hope she feels the same way he does even if she’ll never say it.

All of this is hardly the biggest issue in his mind, though. His desires for her tend to stray towards the more… carnal side, too. His mind is filled with thoughts of her writhing beneath him (Or above him. He’s not picky.) and whimpering out his name as they connect in the most intimate of ways. Her face flush and filled with pleasure. His hands touching her in places they probably only ever will in his thoughts. His lips covering her soft skin in kisses.

On the opposite end of that desire was the desire to, well, kill her. To choke her, stab her, remove her before she was able to kill him. YoRHa may be gone and unable to send her any more commands and he knows she’d never hurt him if she had the choice but there's still that deep, inner fear that she’ll have to don that executioner title once more. And yet he’d gladly die by her hands. It was all so confusing and conflicting it made his mind spin.

If anyone could see into his mind (Adam did but that’s an experience he’d rather not remember in detail.) they’d wonder what the hell was wrong with him. Why on earth would he desire his own executioner in such a way? But that was just it. She was _his_ executioner. She belonged to him just as he belonged to her. That much was a fact.

“Does he always stare off into space like that?”

9S vaguely registered the snarky voice of A2 standing a decent distance away, next to 2B. They’d been patrolling and somehow come across the older attacker model while she was… what did she call it? Machine watching? Like they were some sort of source of entertainment to her. He wasn’t sure and to be quite frank, he didn’t give too much of a shit what A2 did in her spare time. He just wanted to know why the fuck she was coming along with them. Couldn’t he have 2B to himself for once without some machine or annoying, rogue android up in their business?

“He has a lot on his mind, I suppose.”

2B shifted her weight onto the thigh that peeked out between the slit in her skirt, causing the skin just above her thigh highs to bunch up slightly. The sight was tantalizing to him and he had to resist the urge to reach out and run his hands along her skin.

“Yo, scanner boy!”

Suddenly A2 was in his field of vision, blocking his view of 2B’s mouth watering thighs, and a scowl formed on his face as he met her gaze.

“There’s the look I know so well. I’m out. Don’t leave your lady waiting for you because you can’t stop staring at her. Be good!”

And with that, A2 turned on her heels and was off, leaving him slightly dazed and unable to properly process what she’d said to him. Unfortunately, 2B very much heard what she had said due to A2 being the loudest and most unsubtle android possible. At least, if her raised brow was any indication of it. 9S now regretted that they’d chosen to go without the visors for the day because it left him so exposed to her.

“Heh… A2. What a joker, right…?”

2B said nothing for the moment, merely opting to take long strides towards him until she was right up in his personal space, staring down at him with her usual unreadable expression.

“9S.”

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he started to fidget in place. She was close enough that if he reached out he could easily sink his fingers into the soft, synthetic flesh of her thigh. Not that he would do that but it was highly tempting and there was nothing wrong with daydreaming about it.

“You’re distracted more than usual today. Do you need some sort of assistance?”

 _Oh boy, do I_. He shook his head vigorously.

“No! I’m f-fine, 2B.”

She looked unconvinced.

“Was A2 right? Am I a distraction to you, 9S?”

Right now he couldn’t help the surge of irritation that ran through him at the sound of A2’s name coming from between 2B’s lips. What he wouldn’t give to find her and beat her over the head with Cruel Oath’s hilt until her vocal processors ceased to function.

“N-no. I mean, it’s not— it’s not a bad distraction! Well, okay, maybe it’s not good to be distracted at all but—“

“Pods. Go find A2 and accompany her for a while. Clearly, 9S and I have something we need to discuss.”

Both the pods intoned affirmations before floating off towards the direction 9S vaguely recalls A2 going in and he suddenly feared for his life. Figuratively speaking because 2B was definitely about to scold him something fierce.

“9S.”

Without giving him a chance to speak, she lifted him up into her arms and carried him over to a nearby fallen slab of concrete where she gently sat him down on it.

“Why am I distracting you? Tell me.”

The question wasn’t up for debate. She expected an answer whether he wanted to give one or not. He was, however, surprised it wasn’t an immediate scolding but almost wished it was. The idea was much more enticing than telling her how much he wanted to grope her.

“Uhh… You know… you’re uhh… you and— and I’m me and, well—“

Her head tilted slightly to the side but her expression stayed neutral.

“Yes, I’m aware of this. That doesn’t answer my question.”

He sighed softly and looked down at his hands, fingers fidgeting with one another.

“Look 2B. I respect you a lot. I like you a lot. I mean, if that wasn’t already obvious. I have… thoughts. Feelings. Desires I shouldn’t have and they all center around you. All these things I want to do to you that cause my head to spin to the point I think my thought processors might be fried.”

There was silence for a stretch of time that unnerved 9S to his core but he was too scared to look up and see the possible disappointment on her face.

“I see.”

He felt his gut wretch like a knife had been roughly forced into it.

“Will it fix the problem if you’re allowed to act on these thoughts?”

His head shot up to look at her but all he found was her impassive gaze staring down at him, no hint of teasing or joking in her voice.

“I— I’m not sure. And I fear it would only make me crave more.”

Her lips pursed as if in thought.

“Very well. If there’s a chance it will help you out I’ll allow it. It doesn’t come close to atoning for my sins but perhaps it’s a start.”

Did he hear her right? Was she aware of what he meant by his words?

“2B, you-you're aware of what I mean by that right? And you’re still saying yes?”

A hand came to rest on the top of his head though her expression stayed passive.

“I’ll admit I’m not entirely sure of what’s going through your mind but… I have an idea of what some of it is, yes.”

As if those words were enough to break what little resolve he had left in him, he surged forward to bury his face in her stomach as his arms wrapped around her waist to pull her closer to him. She stiffened up briefly before relaxing in his hold as he nuzzled the soft fabric of her dress and inhaled deeply, taking in her unique scent.

“2B…”

He mumbled this against her stomach, causing her to squirm only slightly.

“Hmm?”

Hands found purchase on her hips as he, however unwanted it was, pushed her away enough to peer up at her.

“As much as I’d love to ravish you right here and now I think it would be best if we find somewhere a bit more private. The least I can do is make sure you’re comfortable. Although I’d also like you to enjoy it, of course.”

The corner of her lip twitched as if she wanted to smile but it never appeared on her features.

“How… thoughtful of you.”

He swears maybe he detected a hint of affection in the way she spoke that he’d have missed if he wasn’t the scanner model he was.

“The resistance camp is only a few minutes walk from here if you insist on somewhere private.”

His grip on her hips tightened as he shot up from his seat (a little too eagerly, even he admits), a huge grin forming on his face. He couldn’t help but lean up to press a quick kiss to her jawline which she, to her credit, received without ever changing her expression.

“That’s perfect! Hey, 2B. Can I carry you there?”

Her stoic gaze faltered only slightly and he detected a bit of apprehension in her features.

“...Why?”

Trying to test the waters a bit before they reached their room back at the camp, he slid one of his palms down the side of her hip to her upper thigh and gave it a tentative squeeze. 2B’s expression went from apprehension to one of mild surprise at the action.

“Because you’re always the one to carry me. I want to carry you for once.”

“...If you insist.”

No other words were needed for him to act and he immediately slipped an arm behind her upper thighs to quite literally sweep her off her feet and into his arms. He had to adjust a few times to get a comfortable position while he carried her and he admits she was heavier than he expected but it wasn’t a hindrance to him. His goal was clear and nothing was going to stop him from it.

2B kept quiet the entire walk there and it gave him some time to think. He worried that maybe he was pushing himself onto her too much and making her uncomfortable. He wanted her to enjoy it just as much as he knew he would. It wouldn’t be worth it if she was only doing it to humor him. He was so lost in thought he didn’t register the curious looks given by the resistance members as they entered the camp or that he’d reached the door to their shared room. It was 2B herself that brought him out of his thoughts.

“9S?”

Oh, they were here. Right. The arm he had tightly gripped underneath her legs loosened so that he could ease her back onto her own two feet. 2B smoothed out her skirt and cleared her throat before pushing through the door into their small, private quarters. 9S could only follow behind her, desperate to be out of the sight of prying eyes where he could have her all to himself.

He turned after he’d fully entered the room to close the door and lock it, unwilling to allow even the tiniest of interruptions. When he’d turned back around, 2B had taken perch on the edge of the nearest bed, gaze on him almost… expectant. Unwilling to waste any more time, he tugged off his gloves, tossing them somewhere for future him to locate. Once they were successfully off he removed his boots and socks. If he was going to ravage her he might as well be comfortable while he did it.

Quick strides were taken to reach where she was on the bed before his fingers came up to stroke the soft skin of her cheek. As if she hadn’t realized she was doing it, 2B silently leaned into his touch. Fascinated by her action, he stroked her cheek gently with his fingers as he all but smirked down at her. It was exhilarating already for him to be in the dominant position between the two of them and he’d barely even done anything.

“Oh 2B… My perfect 2B… You don’t know how much I’ve longed for this.”

It took everything in him not to stutter while he spoke, to stumble over his words. Hiding his nervousness from her was a feat in itself. She didn’t even seem to notice as she tilted her head up and to the side, eyes focused on him and lips pursed. He took that as an invitation to lean down and finally capture her lips with his own in a heated kiss, hoping the act would even partially convey his desire for her.

She softly groaned into the kiss, possibly out of surprise, and he nipped at her bottom lip before taking it between his own to lightly suck on it. While he did this, he used his free hand to, admittedly struggle slightly, to pull off her gloves, other hand opting to slip to the back of her neck to tilt her head further towards him and deepen the kiss. His tongue pressed at the seam of her mouth and she instantly responded by parting her lips for him to push his tongue into her. Her gloveless hands now gripped his jacket as his tongue slid against hers.

He couldn’t help the breathless moan that exited his mouth as his tongue explored every inch of her mouth, as if trying to taste every bit of what could only be described as ‘2B’. Before he fully pulled away, he gave one last teasing bite to her plump bottom lip. 2B looked quite literally kissed senseless. Her lips were red and swollen, eyes half-lidded, cheeks dusted a faint pink. He’d never seen her look this way and he desperately wanted to see more.

A quick kiss was pressed to her lips before he focused on unlacing and tugging off her boots. The stockings had to go too (those blessed legs deserved attention later) so he peeled them off her one by one. Once he was done with that he peered up at her, noting the slightly dazed look on her face. His hands found the knot on her skirt and he continued to eye her as he tugged at it, as if looked for permission despite already having it. Her fingers combed through his hair as she gave a small nod.

“Go ahead.”

Almost as if he’d done this before, he deftly untied and removed her skirt, tugging it out from under her when she lifted her hips to aid him in its full removal. His fingers then poked and prodded at the edge of her top until he found the hidden clasps and he just as skillfully had the top part of her dress off in a manner of seconds, leaving her clad only in the white leotard she wore underneath. He shrugged off his jacket soon after and was quick to pounce on her, pressing her into the soft sheets of the bed she was perched on and causing her to squeak out in surprise. His nose buried itself in the junction of her neck and shoulder where he inhaled her scent.

“2B…”

Lips pressed to the skin where his nose had been mere seconds before and he felt her full body shiver at the sensation. Wanting to feel more of her, and desperate to have her trembling and gasping in his arms, he took to covering that particular expanse of skin in kisses and nips. His lips trailed up to just beneath her ear before back down to her exposed collarbone. Her fingers dug into his arm, leaving crescent marks on his skin each time he’d leave a mark of his own on a particularly sensitive spot. He bit down near the hollow of her throat, not deep but enough to leave a mark, before lavishing the skin with his tongue, causing a gasp from her.

His hands glided down her sides to rest on her hips, fingers digging into the soft skin there, as he worried a patch of skin near her jawline between his teeth that caused her to squirm underneath him. The processors in him were running at speeds he never thought possible and it was hard to keep up with the onslaught of possible scenarios and actions he could do. One lone thought burned in his mind and kept him going. The intense need to mark her and show the world what belonged to him.

As if the thought were overpowering, his body followed this need like a mantra. Both sides of her neck and collarbones were covered in small bruises and crescent teeth marks and her lips were parted slightly as she panted quietly. He wanted to be gentle with her but he also wanted to be rough, wanted her to feel some ounce of pain for all that she inflicted on him even if he didn’t necessarily blame her for it. Her eyes met his and she gave him a questioning look, almost like she was wondering why he’d stopped. Thousands of questions swarmed in his head but the more prominent ones asked if she liked it or enjoyed the pain.

Wanting to test for the answers to these questions, he dug his fingers into the soft, synthetic flesh of her hips hard enough to elicit another gasp from her. Afterward, she squirmed around again as the grip she had on his arms increased. Her expression didn’t give nearly enough away but enough to satisfy him for the time being. He was starting to feel that familiar tightness in his shorts but that would have to wait. He still hadn’t sufficiently explored every inch of her yet.

He struggled to pry one of her hands from his arm, her grip far stronger than his could ever hope to be, and she muttered an apology as she relinquished her grip on him. As if to tell her she was forgiven, he pressed a tender kiss to each knuckle on her hand, a far cry from the ones he’d left on her already. After, he turned her hand so the palm was facing up and pressed one to it. One particularly long one was pressed to her wrist right where her pulse point was and he couldn’t help but scrape his teeth there as well.

2B was practically whimpering as he trailed kisses up her arm towards her shoulder. Once he reached it, he tugged at the straps of her leotard as he scrutinized her face. Her teeth were now digging into her bottom lip, cheeks flared with a light pink color, but she nodded her head in silent affirmation. He tugged the straps off her shoulders before pulling them slowly down her arms until they were free of it, he then tugged the leotard down to just below her stomach. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the naked skin of her upper body.

Her pale, synthetic skin practically glowed in the dim light of the room and he swore he was in the presence of what humans would refer to as a goddess. Despite all his conflicting emotions about her, she was ethereal to him and he felt undeserving of being in the same room as her. His fingers trailed down the valley of her breasts as he sighed out, causing her to arch her back a fraction.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

A soft smile formed on his face as her cheeks grew redder at his compliment before she broke eye contact to stare off somewhere to the side.

“Are you embarrassed? How cute.”

His lips were once again on hers for a brief moment before he trailed them down her throat, past her collarbones and to the place his fingers were moments before. He slipped an arm around her waist as his lips glided across her skin towards her breast where he gave the nipple a tentative lick. 2B let out a choked gasp at the action and he peeked up to catch her covering her mouth with her hand. Pleased with the reaction, he went back to the task at hand and wrapped his lips around her nipple and sucked lightly. A muffled mewl filled the room as he sucked and he felt fingers thread into his hair and tug.

He swirled his tongue and nipped at her flesh until he was satisfied with how red it was before trailing kisses to the other, unattended peak. Once there, he dedicated similar attention to that one. After he was done working it like he had the other, he peppered kisses all over her breasts between nips until her chest was heaving with each breath she took. Despite being pleased with how red and marked her chest was now, he was disappointed that she was trying to contain herself even now.

“2B, please…”

His fingers wrapped around her wrist before tugging her hand away from her mouth to replace it with his own lips briefly.

“I want to hear you. It would make me immensely happy.”

As a response, she pressed her lips to his jawline before nodding. Happy, 9S grinned down at her and was rewarded with one of her rare, small smiles. As if the smile had reinvigorated him, he slipped his hands down her sides to grasp her leotard, intending to remove it entirely. He tugged it down past her hips and off her legs in mere seconds. 2B was back to looking embarrassed but she did nothing to cover herself.

9S grasped her leg to place a kiss to her ankle before settling down between her legs as he trailed kisses up her calves to her inner thighs. Now he was finally at the place of his downfall on so many occasions and he had to give them attention. He enthusiastically covered her inner thigh in bites and kisses, awarding him with a much clearer whimper from 2B. A rather wet kiss was pressed centimeters from her center before he finally took a good look at her.

It was very obvious from looking at her that she was turned on. Her folds were glistening with her wetness and he couldn’t help running his thumb along it, effectively coating the digit in it. The touch caused 2B to shudder and softly groan as her fingers dug into the sheets below her. Wanting to hear more, he leaned in to drag the flat of his tongue along the length of her center. This elicited a sharp gasp from her at the sensation.

He was mesmerized by her reactions so he pushed his tongue between her folds to lap at her wetness. 2B suddenly gripped his hair as her hips slightly rolled in response, low sighs and moans emitting from her. He’d read about human anatomy before and knew android anatomy followed it closely so he slid his tongue up, searching for that bundle of nerves that females supposedly had. His tongue finally found it and when he swirled his tongue on it he was awarded with the loudest mewl he’d heard from her yet. Her hips bucked forward sharply along with it.

The pressure in his shorts was growing unbearable by the second and despite his best efforts it was becoming harder to ignore. He opted to quickly remove his hands from her thighs, pausing in his efforts to please her, to undo the buttons and zipper of his shorts and tug them off. 2B lifted her head up to peer down at him with a confused and frustrated look as to why he stopped and he couldn’t help but find the expression adorable despite the position they were in.

“Sorry. Just needed to- Yeah.”

Her look seemed to indicate she understood what he meant before she settled back down on the bed.

“You don’t need to apologize, 9S.”

He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him as he wrapped his arms back around her upper thighs and settled back down onto the bed, himself. Instead of verbally responding to her, he dove back in to press his tongue between her folds and as deep as he could get it as his thumb pressed down on the synthetic bundle of nerves that had her previously making noise. True to before, her breath hitched as she slurred out his name.

“N-ninesss-”

It was his name she uttered. Not just his name but his _nickname_. His black box pulsed in his chest erratically and he thought he might overheat just from hearing the way she said it. The need to please her grew and he explored every inch inside of her that he could reach with his tongue as his thumb ran lazy circles on her clit. At some point, her hands had both moved to thread in his hair and she was tugging rather roughly at the white strands, hips rolling towards him in an effort to create more friction.

The pain only pushed him forward in his need to make her reach her peak and he kept up his actions in earnest as her legs tightened around his head. He ground his own hips into the bed in time with the motions of his tongue, trying to find some relief of his own. As his thumb pressed down rather roughly onto her clit, she finally came undone. She cried his name out loudly, nails digging into his scalp hard enough to almost break skin. She jerked her hips sporadically and squirmed on the bed as her orgasm ran through her and he gently lapped at her as she did.

Once her trembling subsided, he pulled himself away from her to crawl up so that he could look down at her face. 2B was a mess. Her lips were parted as she panted softly, eyes closed and head tilted to the side. There were strands of hair sticking to her face and her cheeks were a bold red. Despite all this, she still managed to look absolutely beautiful to him. He pushed the errant strands behind her ear and leaned down to press a kiss to the corner of her lips.

“2B.”

Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked up at him, slightly out of focus but curious.

“Hmm?”

He ran his fingers along her jawline, looking apprehensive.

“Are you- How was it?”

The corner of her lips turned up into a small half smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked his hair.

“Good. Ah. Great, actually.”

She tugged him down to press her lips to his as her hips bucked up against his erection and he was suddenly painfully aware of just how in need of his own release he was. He broke the kiss and groaned out.

“Ahh! 2-2B I need-”

His voice was silenced by her pressing a kiss to his lips again. He felt fingers now tugging at his black boy shorts and realized he hadn’t even noticed her bringing her hands down.

“I know.”

9S couldn’t help but hiss through his teeth as he peeled the offending shorts off of himself before tossing the cloth away somewhere to be found at a later time. After, he pulled off his black shirt. As he settled back down between her legs, 2B wrapped them around his waist loosely as her hands came up to cup his cheeks and give him an encouraging smile. He grasped his length in his hand, groaning at even the slight touch causing pulses to shoot through him. With the tip of his length aligned with her center, he sought out her approval once again.

As if knowing what he wanted to ask, she nodded her head to give him the go ahead. He admired her for having so much patience with him and for even letting him do what he was about to do. His affection for her spurred him on and he pressed himself against her entrance before slowly pushing inside her inch by inch. He could feel her inner muscles tense up briefly as he did but finally relax once he was all the way in. Her fingers dug into his cheeks as she exhaled loudly. He couldn’t help but curse out loud at the feeling of her warm, wet walls clenching around him.

“Fuck, 2B.”

His hands gripped her hips to dig his nails in, eliciting a gasp from her, as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips, trying to convey his want and affection for her. She received the kiss in earnest before nipping at his bottom lip. He started a slow but steady rhythm that had her sighing against his lips. Her legs tightened around his waist as she bucked her hips forward to meet each thrust and he couldn’t help the sounds he made every time their hips connected when he pushed all the way in. He bit down on her bottom lip hard enough, without realizing he was, to draw blood and once the taste hit his mouth he recoiled as she whimpered.

He couldn’t stop his hips from moving but he pulled back as he cupped her cheek and ran a thumb along the bite mark on her bottom lip, giving her an apologetic look. Inside, however, in some twisted way it thrilled him to mark her in such a way. A wetness hit his thumb and he realized she was running her tongue along the digit so he pressed his thumb further into her mouth as he picked up the pace of his thrusts. This caused a bit of her saliva to trickle down the corner of her lips as her tongue wrapped around his thumb. This sight sent pulses straight down to his groin.

“2B. 2B.”

Her name came from his mouth like he was chanting a prayer and maybe he was. Praying that this would never end. That he could be this close to her always. That he could hold her in his arms for eternity. He pulled his thumb from her mouth and leaned in to press his forehead to hers as his thrusts became erratic, feeling that much needed release so close. Her inner muscles started to clench tightly around him and he was suddenly aware of how close she must be as well as her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders and neck.

“Nines. I-”

He mimicked what she had said to him earlier.

“I know. God- M-me too.”

2B gave him a quick peck on the lips as he thrust into her as quickly as his body would allow him to, desperate to tip over that edge. She was the first to tip over that precipice, arms tightening around him as her body arched up into him. Her loud mewls filled the room as her walls clenched and unclenched deliciously around him. She trembled beneath him like he’d envisioned so many times in his dreams and it was enough to send him toppling over with her. His hips sputtered against her own as he came, calling out her name as he did.

When the waves of his orgasm subsided, he collapsed in a heap on top of her as if the act had sapped him entirely of all his strength. He could feel his processors working in overtime to repair everything he’d managed to overheat in the process. 2B exhaled a loud breath as he did but gently ran her fingers through his messy locks. His face was buried in the pillow and when he finally needed to breathe properly he turned his head to look at her side profile. Her face was flushed as red as he’d ever seen it and she turned her head slightly to look at him, a small smile forming on her face.

“I love when you smile.”

2B’s nose scrunched up as her brows furrowed and if she was blushing he couldn’t tell due to her face already being flushed from her second orgasm. He couldn’t help the low, breathy laugh that escaped him and he leaned in to peck her cheek affectionately.

“Thank you. Ah— I mean, for letting me get close to you like this. I know it probably wasn’t easy for you.”

She sighed softly and craned her neck to press a kiss to his forehead.

“It’s… not that I consider it hard. I just— I feel like I owe you far more than just this. I’ve done awful things to you, Nines. You treat me like I’m the world to you and I don’t deserve your kindness.”

The guilt seeped in every word she uttered and he lifted his head up quickly, enough to daze him slightly but not enough to deter him from focusing on her face and cupping her cheek.

“Don’t speak like that, 2B. You _are_ my world and you’re every bit deserving of it. I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather spend eternity with than you. So please, _please_ don’t feel guilty. I’ve forgiven you.”

He begrudgingly pulled out of her to lay on his side and pull her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She curled into him, intertwining her legs with his and slipping her arms around his neck. He felt her breath hit his face as she exhaled another sigh.

“You’re too sweet to me but… thank you.”

A smile spread across his features and he leaned in to press a tender kiss to her lips as his hands ran along her spine in soothing strokes. He could feel her visibly relax in his hold as her eyelids fluttered open and closed.

“Nines…”

“Hmm?”

There was only silence that followed and he realized she had dozed off. He felt his black box swell with happiness at how she was relaxed enough to fall asleep in his arms and he pulled her even closer, if possible, and closed his own eyes. His thoughts swirled in his head, processors running again at maximum output, but one thing stuck out among the rest. He was just happy to have her here in his arms, alive and well.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Let You Go by Illenium ft. Ember Island
> 
> Bonus:
> 
> "Why are you guys here?"
> 
> Pod 153 and 042 turned to face each other before looking at A2 and responding.
> 
> "Units 9S and 2B needed time alone."
> 
> "Proposal: This unit believes they intend to copulate."
> 
> A2's face contorted into a disgruntled look.
> 
> "Knowledge I didn't need, Pod."


End file.
